CHAPTER 2

NINETEENTH CENTURY PHILIPPINES

AS RIZAL’S CONTEXT

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the chapter, the students are expected to:
1. Appraise the link between the individual and society.
2. Analyze the various social, political, economic and cultural changes that occurred in
the nineteenth century
3. Understand Jose Rizal in the context of his times.

Introduction
Nineteenth century was not only a nodal point in the history of the Philippines but more so
in the history of the world. There were many events that took place in the range of the 1800s-1900s
and even before that but has gained its turning point in this period that caused to change the lives
of the people (most especially the Filipino natives). These events were also crucial in the making
of the history of the Philippines as well as the making of a Filipino like Jose Rizal.
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The Galleon Trade
The Galleon Trade lasted for
more than 250 years from 1565-1815
which carried silver, gold, spices, silk
and fashionable objects. It was
considered as the longest running
shipping line of its time. The route was
discovered by Fray Andres de
Urdaneta and wrought the trans-
pacific from the Philippines to Photo: Eric P. Granada 1
Mexico. The Manila-Acapulco trade ended with Mexican war of independence in 1815. The
Mexican war of independence was called to an end of the 300 years of Spanish rule in Mexico
which voiced-out issues like land redistribution and racial inequality. Mexicans of Spanish descent
and other conservatives called the Royalist become the liberals who brought independence. The
galleon trade brought in its wake historical events like this and has caused movement people
among various continents like Europe and the Americas.
The Manila-Acapulco trade made both Philippines and Mexico became famous market
center for imports and exports. It actually paved a way to have an extension of control to the
Spanish colony given that Philippines was under the governing of the viceroy of Mexico. There
was an influx of population from 40,000 up to 100,000, mostly Chinese and Filipinos.
The Galleon also opened to migrants who worked as slaves, barbers, vendors, harp players,
dancers, scribes, tailors, cobblers, silversmiths, and coachmen.
The Spanish Zocalo was replaced by a
Chinese Parian (a name adapted from the
name of the Chinese community in the
Philippines). It was a place of buying and
selling of Asian imports—spices from the
Orient, ivory, diamonds, Chinese porcelain,
Indian fabrics, Siamese ebony, rubies and
emeralds from India. Ivory religious images,
indigenous fabrics in cotton, indigo and
wooden furniture were said to be exports from
the Philippines.

Due to the Manila-Acapulco trade, Mexico became a multi-cultural nation in urbanization

and sophistication. It became one of the wealthiest cities in the world with leading cultural and
intellectual aspects. It was said to become a city on the cutting edge of world knowledge, trade and
diplomacy.
However, Manila just ranked below Mexico because it only became more of a regional
trading hub where China, India and Southeast Asia sent their goods to be consolidated for shipping.
The Chinese also played a huge part in the Galleon trade. They did most of the work such
a packing goods, they served as galleon crews along with Filipinos and other nationalities. They
managed to participate actively in the trade yet only the Spaniards are required to do so. The
Galleon opened economic opportunities that also made not only the Filipinos, but also the
Spaniards intimidated which caused tensions in the Parian.

Photo taken from [Link] 1

The end of the Galleon trade, as it coincided with the Mexican War of Independence, is
also said to be the nodal point of its history. It began the end for the period of colonization. It also
ended as it yielded to faster ships and routes such as the Suez Canal, and liberalization of politics.

The Opening of Suez Canal

The opening of Suez Canal which
happened November 17, 1869, paved the
way for the Philippines to a more faster
route and also made direct commercial
relations with Spain (instead of Mexico). It
was often called as the “crossroads of
Europe, Africa and Asia”. It shortened the
time of travel from two months to 30 days,
from Spain to the Philippines and vice
versa. This has affected the development
of exports from Philippines which also Photo taken from [Link] 1

directly affected the economy of native

indios and also the ilustrados.
The shortened trip from Philippines to Spain through the opening of Suez Canal also made
the Filipino ilustrados send their children to European universities. These Filipino ‘students’ said
to become a new patrons of art that also led to its secularization in the 19 th century.

Photo taken from [Link] 1

The Opening Philippine Ports to World Trade

After the existence of Suez Canal has eased the transportation, communication and
technology, the economy of the Philippines also went hand-hand-hand through the opening of its
new ports to the world. New commerce has been introduced since the ceased of the galleon trade
in 1815. They have promoted direct and tariff-free trade between the Philippine islands to Spain.
Cash crops were cultivated for trade with Europe and Latin America, but stopped after the
independence of Spanish Latin American colonies in the 1820s.

Manila became an open port after the Royal Company of the Philippines has been abolished
in 1834, as its perks of having excellent harbor. It has become a free port for Asian, European and
North American traders. More ports were opened in 1973 to foreign commerce and by the late
nineteenth century three crops—tobacco, abaca and sugar—dominated Philippine exports.
The opening of ports has incorporated the regions outside Manila to international trade as
well.

Cash crop economies and monopolies

The Spaniards implemented economic programs which are mainly about land ownership
and taxes. One tax collected was the direct tax called tributo that was ten percent of the income
paid to the government. It can be cash or in-kind (tobacco, chickens, produce, gold, blankets,
cotton, rice which depends on the region of the country. An indirect tax, called the bandala, was
also collected as annual enforced sale and requisition of goods such as rice. Still, custom duties
and income tax were also collected.
Jose Basco y Vargas, established the “The Royal Society of Friends of the Country” that
was tasked to explore and exploit Philippines natural bounties. The society let to the creation of
Plan General Economico de Basco which implemented the monopolies on the betel nut, tobacco,
spirited liquors and explosives. It offered local and foreign scholarships and training grants in
agriculture and established an academy of design. It was introduced on 1780 and eventually ceased
to exist in the middle of 1890s.

Along with the galleon trade and the Royal Society, a “Royal Company of the Philippines
was created by King Charles III with a 25 year charter. It was granted exclusive monopoly of
bringing to Manila, Philippines; Chinese and Indian goods and shipping them directly to Spain via
the Cape of Good Hope. It was vehemently opposed by its contemporaries and eventually ceased
its existence in 1814.
The Tobacco Monopoly made
the Philippines the greatest tobacco-
growing country in the Orient. All
farmers had a quota of tobacco to raise
annually and all were sold to the
government. Other than that, the
country under Spain was economically
under developed. Photo taken from [Link] 1
Social Education of the Middle Class
The educational system during the Spanish period were very much favorable to the
colonizers. The friars controlled the educational system and put up schools ranging from primary
to tertiary levels of education. The teachings of the Catholic religion were emphasized. Christian
Doctrines, Spanish books and a little from the native Philippine languages were taught.

The schools before were exclusive for the Spaniards. The nineteenth century also opened
doors to education for Filipinos yet limit their accommodations for sons of wealthy families in
1863. The schools were separated for boys and girls.

The friars were effective in

evangelizing the Catholic religion to the
Filipinos for they compelled their
influences through Doctrines and
teachings. However, the religious
congregation failed in withholding
Filipinos to learn from other bodies of
knowledge. Indeed, education during the
Spanish times was only favorable to
Spanish students. Educatio n was only a
means to remain in the Philippines as colonizers. The Filipinos only became followers of the
Spaniards in their own country. They become cronies to the extent that their lifestyles were
patterned from their colonizers.
Nevertheless, several educated Filipinos, the ilustrados began movements towards change
in the system of government in the Philippines. Most of them were actually not full-blooded
Filipinos but were meztisos or Chinese meztisos.
The Chinese meztisos—persons of mixed
Chinese-native ancestry—have not been formally
and legally recognized as a separate group. Though
they actually belong to the tribute-paying class along
with the indios, they actually paid more taxes because
of their double earnings, thus having more capacity
to study or acquire education. These also included the
inquilinos who were leasers of agricultural lands in
which most of their lands were found in Cavite and
other nearby provinces.
Photo taken from [Link] 1

Political Liberalism
It was the ilustrados—considered as the elitist group (middle class in the perspective of the
Spaniards), educated and well-informed—that the influx of liberal ideals came into picture. Other
than these political ideals, there was a revolt in Spain, which had deposed their monarchs, which
succeeded in establishing a Provisional Republic [of Spain]. These put in saddle liberal governor
generals who encouraged free and open discussion of political and social problems and the strict
censorship of the press. One governor-general who was appointed during this period of liberalism
was Carlos Ma. Dela Torre who encouraged Filipinos to speak boldly for the political rights. He
openly affirmed his support of the Filipinization of the clergy and the secularization of the parishes
held by the friars.

The Bourbon Reforms and the Cadiz Constitution

The Bourbon Reforms were a set of economic and political legislation promulgated by the
Spanish Crown in which the crown pursued state supremacy over the Catholic Church and it was
an attempt to abolish ecclesiastical privileges to strengthen the crown’s power with clear lines of
authority to officials contrasted to the complex system of government.
The reforms resulted in significant restructuring of the administrative structure and
personnel which intended to stimulate manufacturing and technology in order to modernize
Spain, hoping for a positive effect on the economy. It also intends to limit the power of the
creoles (full-blooded Spaniards who were not born in Spain) and re-establish Spanish supremacy
over the colonies. These reforms were also based on the Cadiz constitution which promotes
liberalism as a tool in governing the colonies. It was a radical and drastic change that happened
in the Spanish colonial history.

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The overlapping of these events started the flame of the eventual revolution in the
Philippines. These also marked the making of the Filipinos who fought for our rights and later on
our independence. These molded the likes of Jose Rizal and his contemporaries who asserted
liberalism in our islands. If all of these happened in a different manner, then there’s a higher
possibility of a changed history.